Pouring spouts on liquid vessels, such as bulk liquid containers and closures therefor, are well known in the art. These pouring spouts find particular utility when dispensing viscous liquids, such as laundry detergents, either directly onto articles of clothing to be spot treated or when rapidly transferring large quantities of liquid into a washing machine.
Most such vessels of the prior art are releasably secured to a secondary vessel by means of complementary helical threads, e.g., a closure releasably secured to a bulk liquid container. Accordingly, the outward projection of the pouring spout on either the bulk liquid container or the closure typically does not extend beyond the rim of the container in order to avoid interference with the complementary threads on the secondary vessel. When the pouring spout does not extend sufficiently far beyond the rim of the vessel to which it is attached, viscous liquid poured from the vessel may not completely clear the rim and/or the external threads on the vessel. Once liquid contaminates the rim and/or threads of the vessel in question, each successive liquid dispensing cycle becomes messier than the preceding cycle.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a vessel, which may comprise either a closure or a bulk liquid container, said vessel having a pour spout which extends beyond the outermost portion of the vessel's uppermost rim.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a first vessel, such as a closure, having an outwardly projecting pour spout that does not cause interference when said first vessel is applied to a secondary vessel, such as a bulk liquid container.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a first externally threaded vessel having an outwardly projecting pour spout, said first vessel being releasably secured to a secondary vessel having a complementary internal thread, said outwardly projecting pour spout exhibiting a cross-sectional profile which fits within the confines of a hypothetical extension of the external thread on said first vessel.